Helpful information for people planning on teaching English in a foreign country.

Teaching English as a foreign language is big business. There are 1.7 billion English learners worldwide, and the British Council estimates this will rise to two billion by 2020. The demand for English teaching delivered by someone who speaks the language as a mother tongue is at an all-time high.

It is also seen as an increasingly enticing option for many graduates unable to get their foot on the career ladder in the UK, or for those who want to see a bit of the world while making money along the way.

In 2012, I decided to try it out for myself and set off for Vietnam four years after I graduated. Aged 26, my decision to teach English was born out of a desire to fund travel round Asia, rather than as a career option.